Tide motor



G. ORTGIER TIDE MOTOR Filed Nov. 20, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1 gm 7% 5 g a a M 6. 0 5 M 4 My 2 g w 4 2 a A M a f M G. 'ORTGIER Oct. 13,1925;

TIDE MOTOR Filed Nov. 20. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 fia. 3

l |i lllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllliilil ////.mmnmu ullr Oct. 13,1925- G.- ORTGIER TIDE MOTOR Filed Nov. 20. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet '6 Patented Get. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES GEORGE ORTGIEB, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

TIDE MOTOR.

Application filed November 20, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon ORTGIER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of East St. Louis, county of St. Clair, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tide Motors, of which the following is a specification, containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in tide motors and has for its primary object a tide motor which will operate with both the ebb and flow of the tide.

A further object is to construct a tide motor in which the undertow will also have a driving force.

' A still further object is to construct a tide motor having a plurality of collapsible wings or paddles which are so arranged as to drive the motor in one direction only and to fold up or collapse when traveling against the direction of the tide.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an assembled unit embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the driving mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the paddle units;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the cylindrical member employed in Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the base employed;

Fig. 8 is a crosssection taken on the line 1717 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmental vertical section of the adjacent ends of two of the cylindrical members showing the method of interlocking the same.

In the construction of my device, I employ a base consisting of a plate 20 which is preferably made circular. Projecting from the under surface of this plate is a point 21 which is substantially conical and which is provided with grooves 22. The point 21 is adapted to be sunk into the sand or seabed, the grooves 22 serving to hold the plate against rotation. The point 21 is provided with a bore extending partially therein and in which a shaft 23 is seated. The shaft 23 is held against rotation in the point by Serial No. 602,104.

means of a key 24. I may, however, use any other method of holding the shaft 23 against rotation. The plate 20 is provided with a circular recess 25 in which bearing balls or other suitable anti-friction devices 26 may be placed. On top of the anti-friction device 26 rests a collar 27, this collar is slipped over the shaft 23 and is free to turn thereon. The collar 27 is provided with pins 28 which fit into recesses 29 formed in the cylindrical member 30. The cylindrical member has formed integral therewith and adjacent its upper and lower edges radially extending arms 32, these arms are so positioned as to be vertically alined in pairs and between the arms and integral with the outer surface of the cylindrical member 30 are vertical projections33.

The member 30 is provided with a bore 31 which permits the passage of .the shaft 23 and allows free rotation of the member- 30. The upper faceof the cylindrical member 30 isprovided with pins 28 in the same manner as the collar 27 and which are designed to fit into the recesses 29 formed in the next adjacent cylindrical member.

. Near the end of each of the arms 32 is a bore through which a shaft 34 passes, this shaft also passes through the paddle 35 so that the same is pivotally secured between two vertically opposite arms and near their opposite edges. The inner edges of the paddle 35 are adapted to contact with the abutments 33 as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4 thus. allowing the paddle on one side of the cylindrical member to offer resistance to the flow of the tide while on the other side they are allowed to swing freely and thus offer practically no resistance to the flow of the tide.

On the top of the cylindrical member 30 is mounted a sleeve 59 which is free to rotate on the shaft and to which a gear 60 is secured. Secured to the shaft 23 is an arm 61, the outer end of which carries a bearing 62 through which a shaft passes. To this shaft is secured a gear 63 which meshes with the gear 60 and also a gear 64; which meshes with a gear 65. The gear 65 is directly secured to the shaft of a generator or other suitable power device 66 which is preferably secured to the shaft 23 by means of a voke 67 The upper end of the shaft is located on a journal 68 which is carried by a frame 69, the purpose of this frame is to steady the device and eliminate any possibility of tip ping or being overthrown by the'action of the tide or during a storm. The frame 69 may be of any desired shape or construction and therefore the details thereof are. not shown. It may also be anchored in any suitable manner, either to the shore or to concrete pillars and any other structure built adjacent the motor.

It is to be understood of course, that all of the cylindrical members are loosely mounted on the shaft 23 so as to be free to turn thereon but exert no twisting strain on the shaft, the shaft being held rigid in the base 20 so that it is impossible for the same to turn. All of the cylindrical members which carry paddles are provided on their lower ends with recesses 29 and on the upper end with projections 29 so that the members will interlock and that my device can be built up to any height, this depending on the amount of ebb or flow of the tide, as well as the depth of the water in which the same. is located.

It will be'noted from my construction, that my device will operate in one direction only, that is, as the incoming tide exerts its force on the right hand side of the motor, the paddles on the left half will have their ends swinging freely, as indicated in Fig. 4, and thus offer practically. no resistance to the turning of the motor. Vhile theundertow Working on the lower sections of the motor and traveling in the opposite direction will cause the paddles on the left hand side of the motor to contact with the pro jections 33 and permit the paddles on the right hand side to swing freely, in the same manner the ebb of the tide working on the left hand side of each section, and consequently there would be practically no back drag and tendency to turn in the opposite direction present in my device. v

It is of course to be understood, that the shaft 34:, must be either securely fastened to the arms 32 and the paddles 35 loosely mounted thereon, or else the paddles 35 must be securely fastened to the shaft 34 and the shaft loosely mounted in the arms 32. Were the shafts not secured in any manner they would gradually work out of the arms and permit the paddles to become detached and thus render. the deviceuseless.

The essential feature of my device is a tide motor which will always turn in the same direction irrespective of the direction at which the turning force is exerted thereon.

Having fully described my invention, what I claimis 1. A tide motor comprising a plate, a pro jection formed integral with the underside of said plate, said projection adapted to prevent the plate from rotating, a shaft rigidly secured to said plate and projecting from the side opposite said projection,

superimposed cylindrical members rotatably mounted on said shaft, means for interlocking said members, radially projecting arms formed integral with said members at their ends, said arms being arranged in vertically opposite pairs, paddles pivotally carried by said arms adjacent their ends, means in tegral with the cylindrical members and extending between each pair of arms for limiting the. movement of said paddles in one direction, and a driving mechanism carried by said shaft and the uppermost cylindrical member adapted to be operated by the rotation of said cylindrical members and paddles.

2. A tide motor comprising a plate having an integrally formed centrally located projection, a shaft secured against rotation in said plate and projecting from the side 0pposite the projection, a plurality of superimposed interlocking cylindrical members rotatably mounted on said shaft, radially extending arms formed integral with each of said cylindrical members adjacent their ends, the arms adjacent one end being located directly above the arms at the opposite end, paddles pivotally carried by and between said arms and'being pivoted at their outer ends, integral projections formed on the cylindrical members and extending between each pair ofarms for permitting the movement of the free ends of said paddles in one direction only, a driving mechanism carried by the uppermost of said cylindrical members, a driving mechanism supported by I the shaft, means for connecting said. driving mechanisms whereby the last mentioned driving mechanism is placed in. operation through the rotation of said cylindrical members, and means for supporting the free end of said shaft to prevent its tippiu g.

3. A tide motor comprising a circular plate, a centrally located substantially conical projection having vertical grooves formed integral with one face of said plate. a shaft rigidly secured in said plate and projection and extending outward from the face of the plate opposite the projection, a plurality of super-imposed interlocked cylindrical. members rotatably mounted on said shaft, longitudinally extending ribs proj ecting from said cylindrical members, said ribs being of less length than said members and having their ends equi-distant from the ends thereof, radially projecting arms formed integral with said members and at opposite ends of said ribs so as to be arranged in pairs, a shaft mounted in each pair of arms adjacent their ends, a paddle located between each pair of arms and secured at its outer edge to said shaft, said paddles adapted to swing free and unrestrained when moving against the current and to have their inner edges contact with the ribs when being operated on by the current, a gear carried by the up,-

permostcylindrical member, an arm carried operated by the last mentioned gear. and a by the rigid shaft, a shiit rotatably mounted support for the upper end of the rigid shaft in said arm, a pinion secured to said shaft for steadying the same. 10 and meshing With the gear carried by the In testimony whereof, I have signed my cylindrical member, a gear carried by the roname to this specificatien.

tatable shaft, a power transmitting device carried by the rigid shaft and adapted to be GEORGE ORTGIER 

